Discuss the Use of Different Genres in 'Thelma and Louise' and 'Pulp Fiction'

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Narrative and Genre Assignment

Discuss the Use of Different Genres in ‘Thelma and Louise’ and ‘Pulp Fiction’

The term ‘genre’ is used for classifying media texts into groups that have similar characteristics. In Thelma and Louise and Pulp Fiction, a mixture of genres was used in these films. This is known as hybrid genre. In Thelma and Louise, the following genres were used throughout the film: chick-flick, drama, comedy, musical, action, police chase, western and romance. In Pulp Fiction, the following genres were used throughout the film: gangster, sporting events (boxing), comedy, action, musical, mystery, romance and suspense (the Adrenalin injection for Mia).

Thelma and Louise is classified as a road movie because; the film involves two female characters travelling around the western states by road to escape the male society. Pulp Fiction is classified as a gangster film, as it tells us a story(s) of two male characters, as professional assassins and the lives of other characters associating with these main characters. The film consists of three interwoven stories: “Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace’ Wife”, “The Gold Watch” and “The Bonnie Situation”. Pulp Fiction also tells another interwoven story, “The Diner” at the beginning (prologue) and the ending (epilogue) of the film.

Thelma and Louise starts with equilibrium, of an image of a broad landscape that gradually brightens and then instantly turns back into darkness. The connotation of this opening scene is, everything will begin fine with the two women but, it could turn horribly wrong later in the film. There was also a rock ‘n’ roll country music, Tex-Mex, playing in the background to tell us that the film is set in the western states of USA.  The music was the interpellation and was announcing to the audience that the film has begun. The film ended with disequilibrium of the scene where, the audience see Louise puts the car in gear and stamps on the pedal, and they roar off over the edge of the cliff to certain death. The picture freezes as the car hovers high above the canyon and gets brighter and brighter until, all we can see is pure white light. This film tells the audience that, Thelma and Louise cannot adapt to male society, and they do not want to surrender themselves for the crime they don’t want to commit (Harlan’s abusive language forced Louise to shoot him-action code). They believe that if they did surrender to the police, they would not get the justice they wanted because, men have more power than women. In the end of the film, the main characters got want they always wanted freedom.

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According to the order of events (known as plot or syuzhet), Pulp Fiction started with disequilibrium of the scene where, Honey Bunny/Yolanda and Pumpkin/Ringo holds up the same diner where they discussed their plans. The film ended with a new equilibrium of the scene where, Vincent and Jules walk out of the diner (well before Vincent is killed during “The Gold Watch”). According to the actual chronological order of events (known as story or fabula), the film started with equilibrium of the scene where, Vincent and Jules went to Brett to retrieve a mysterious briefcase (the briefcase is an iconography ...

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